High school sweethearts, Lucy Pacheco and Jody Carreiro knew after only a few weeks of dating as teenagers that their love was something out of the ordinary. “We’ve been inseparable pretty much since the day we met [in 2003],” explains Lucy. “Not too long after we first met,” says Jody, “I realised we had an unimaginable connection. I felt like I could share absolutely anything with her.” And share they did. “Jody and I used to talk on the phone for hours at a time,” Lucy recalls. “I remember hanging up the phone one night and I couldn’t stop smiling. Something in my heart told me that he was my soul mate and I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him.”

Of course, at only eighteen years old, there was plenty of life to spend together, but first, they both had to go to college. “In 2004, we both left Bermuda for college in Canada,” explains Lucy. “Jody attended Humber College and obtained his General Science Diploma. I attended Seneca College and obtained an Advanced Diploma in Business Management. In 2009, Jody returned to Bermuda to start his own painting and maintenance business with his father while I enrolled at St. Mary’s University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, to pursue a commerce degree.”

With Jody in Bermuda and Lucy still in Canada, the couple embarked on a long-distance relationship, which they endured for just over two years. “Long distance wasn’t easy and it tested our relationship many times over; however, we managed to get through the tough times by never giving up on one another,” says Lucy. “Long distance helped us realise the depth of our love for each other and helped us improve our communication skills. No matter how hard things got, we knew that there wasn’t anyone else that we would rather be with. Jody visited whenever he could and I came home every chance I got. It was tough but we managed to get through it.”

When Lucy graduated from university in June 2011, Jody was ready and waiting to welcome her home. “Returning home to Jody was so exciting for me. I could finally be by his side and do all of the little things that we tend to take for granted everyday,” Lucy says. “Three months later, we moved in together.”

A year and a half later, Lucy and Jody were engaged to be married.

“It was December 1, 2012,” recalls Lucy. “Jody and I had just finished dinner at one of our favourite spots when he mentioned that he knew a good place to take a photo. We got in the car and Jody drove to Chaplain Bay. When we got there, Jody grabbed a flashlight from the back of the car and we proceeded to walk along the beach, just the two of us. As we walked along the beach, we spotted a glass bottle in the sand. Jody suggested we take a closer look at it, at which point I picked it up and noticed a note inside. When I took the note out of the bottle, I unfolded it and found the question ‘Will You Marry Me?’ with two boxes, both marked ‘Yes.’ When I looked at Jody, he was on bended knee with the most beautiful ring I had ever seen.” Before Lucy had a chance to give Jody her answer, the couple’s respective families (who had been hiding during the proposal) suddenly came into view, ready to celebrate. It was only after Lucy’s parents asked her what her answer to Jody had been that she realised she had yet to give him one. “I jumped into his arms, screaming ‘Yes!’”

When it came to planning the wedding of their dreams, Lucy and Jody settled on modern elegance with a dash of sparkle and pizzazz. They chose Spanish Point Boat Club as the setting for their reception because of its comfortable waterfront location—and with 200 guests in attendance on their big day it packed all the punch at an affordable rate.

Lucy and Jody were married on June 28, 2014, at St. Patrick’s Church in Smith’s Parish. The couple took their vows in front of a full congregation, and immediately after the ceremony released two white doves representing the bride and groom as they begin their life’s journey together in purity with no regrets about the past.

At the couple’s reception, all 14 members of their wedding party gave individual tributes focusing on the couple’s undeniable love and respect for each other, the reason their love had already endured for eleven years and would endure for endless years to come.

When their wedding day was over, Lucy and Jody agreed they wouldn’t have changed a thing. Of course, there are always things that don’t go according to plan or plans that need to be altered at the last minute, but upsets, the couple advises, aren’t what a bride or groom should focus on. “Have fun on your wedding day and remember that at the end of the day, the only thing that matters is that you’re marrying the one you love.”